Long-time Kherson City Council member sentenced to 12 years in absence for Russian aid

Dmytro Bolbot, a deputy of the Kherson City Council of several convocations from the Party of Regions and Nash Krai, organized the collection of money from Kherson retailers on the orders of Russian henchman Volodymyr Saldo and transferred it to the needs of the occupation military.

According to the Center for Public Investigations, in May-June 2022, Bolbot agreed to Saldo's proposal to take the position of first deputy chairman of the occupation board of the Kherson Regional Union of Consumer Societies. His responsibilities included organizing the collection of money from retailers in Kherson and transferring it to Saldo and representatives of the aggressor state. To do this, he appointed people under his control as directors of the Central and Dnipro markets. After that, he organized a monthly collection of money for permission to trade in these markets. In this way, he collected and transferred 800 thousand hryvnias and 5 million rubles to Saldo and other occupants.

In addition, from June to November 2022, Bolbot, supporting the actions and decisions of the so-called head of the "Kherson region's military-civilian administration" Saldo, in order to strengthen the occupation regime and suppress resistance among the local population:

- forced the management of the Kherson Regional Union of Consumer Societies, the Dniprovsky and Central markets of Kherson, who did not support the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and did not agree to work with the occupation authorities, to resign, using psychological pressure and intimidation;

- encouraged the heads of legal entities engaged in business activities in Kherson to re-register their companies under the laws of the Russian Federation and continue to operate under the laws of the aggressor state;

- incited the heads of enterprises to cooperate with the aggressor state in order to sell agricultural products for delivery to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk regions and the TOT of the AR of Crimea;

- persuaded employees of the Kherson Regional Union of Consumer Societies, the Dnipro and Central markets of Kherson to cooperate with representatives of the occupation administration of the aggressor state;

- acting in support of the decisions of Russian representatives to introduce a "ruble zone" in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region, organized the collection of funds for renting the premises of Kherson markets in the currency of the aggressor state, Russian rubles.

Therefore, the judge of the Kherson City Court found ex-MP Bolbot guilty of collaboration and sentenced him to 12 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold any positions in public authorities, public administration, local self-government and engage in activities related to the provision of public services for 15 years with confiscation of all his property.

Олеся Ланцман